Living A Lie
by IcyTanya
Summary: Harry stumbles across a place in Knockturn Alley during a nighttime rendezvous and sees some people he never thought would be seen together. Now he knows that his entire life has been a lie, that his so-called friends have been lying to him.HPSS
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1- The Beginning

Harry sat in his room; he chewed the end of a quill as under the torchlight he tried to finish the essay set for History of Magic. Amazingly it had only been about two weeks since he had come home and there were at least three more weeks left in the holidays but he had already finished most of the homework (which the teachers had insisted on setting even though the students didn't know which of them had passed and which hadn't). There was one more essay in Transfiguration and he had to research on a potion, everything else was finished. Unknown to the Dursleys, regularly on Saturday nights Harry had been sneaking out. He had bought quite a few interesting books on the Dark Arts, potions and charms. He had even got some books about the history of wizards and had realized that Hermione was right about the joys of reading. 'It's too late for this,' Harry thought, yawning, 'I'll check out _Spells of the Dark Ages_ and _When the Light Didn't Shine_ tomorrow. Both books have a lot of information about the Dark Ages and I only need two more inches.'

He kept the books under his pillow and the quill and inkpot beside it. HE had acquired a habit of keeping whatever he was reading and working on under his pillow, beside his diary. His fingers touched the red cover of the diary which had a unicorn with a dazzling white mane painted on it. He took it out and the lovely sky-blue colored quill next to it. He fingered it and smiled, it had helped him a lot in the past few weeks. He had realized in the past few weeks that he had a gift for writing. He slowly opened it to the page where he had last written. Written on it was-

_Dear Diary, I have just finished my Charms homework, it was very easy. I got an owl from Hermione yesterday; she said she would be visiting the Weasleys soon. I wish I could go with her! But I can't because 'Dumbledore' thinks it would be safer **here.** How he drew that conclusion is beyond me. Even going back to Grimmauld place would be better than this! I'm also trying to get a muggle cassette called Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd, they are supposed to be very good. Thanks to the walkman and discman I was sent by Hermione I can listen without the Dursleys finding out. I've been changing my wizard money to muggle money and buying a lot of things I needed. However, I can't buy anything more than the essentials, my money might run out. Sometimes I wonder, whether_

It ended there quite abruptly as he had been called away that moment by Aunt Petunia's voice telling him that dinner was ready. Nowadays the Dursleys were treating him better; or rather they didn't do anything. Only Aunt Petunia seemed to be acting much nicer to him, actually nice and it wasn't pretence. Harry could feel a sort of peace in the air, like a real family should be. However, while Dudley left him well enough alone, Uncle Vernon was a different matter altogether. Even though he ignored him there was a definite feeling of hostility that washed over him every time he was near his uncle, even sometimes when he was at the other end of the room he could feel that angry gaze on his back. 'If looks could kill I would be a medical miracle,' thought Harry with an ironic smile. 'Unfortunately that would give too much pleasure to dear old Voldie so I wouldn't dare hope for that.' he flipped through the book idly and yawned. Finally he started writing, his tongue sticking out slightly at the corner while he concentrated; everything he wrote appeared in jade ink-

_Dear diary, it is now seventeen minutes past three. I have now broken my own record for how long I can stay awake without doing anything productive. Mindless drabble much? But you love it, so do I. Heheh. Anyway, tomorrow (or rather today) is Saturday again, where will I go this time? Flourish and Blotts is of course my first stop, or else I could check out that muggle bookstore near this locality. I thought they had pretty interesting books. Yeah! I'll go there. I wonder whether I can go to Knockturn Alley? Well…there isn't anyone around to stop me, but why do I want to go anyway?My first visit was horrible and it isn't likely to get any better. I'm sighing, curiosity killed the cat and it's going to kill me too; or rather (since only dear Voldie is allowed that pleasure) seriously maim me. I haven't been getting a lot of sleep this week; I'll have to make up for it next week. I've been trying to think of a few poems to write down my thoughts, and I would like to illustrate them too. I think Autn Petunia will call me soon though, I've been writing very slowly._

Here Harry broke off and started thinking, 'It's so nice to be able to feel I have a life of my own. Of course that will change when I go back to Hogwarts, as if I wasn't famous enough already without the Prophecy! Anyway, I'm like a freaking signboard to dear old Voldie that says, _Kill me or I'll kill you_ why is Dumbledore even bothering to keep the Prophecy a secret? Scream it out from the top of Mt. Everest, let's see how many people are surprised,' Harry sighed, "I really need to go to sleep. Judging by the usual, Aunt Petunia won't call me until seven o' clock so that gives me three and a half hours of sleep." The sound of his voice echoed off the walls eerily. Harry ignored it and impulsively wrote four more sentences in his diary-

_Someone beside me, holding my hand_

_Giving me sweet dreams._

_Holding me tight, no more nightmares_

_I can't see their face, are they the One?_

Harry gazed down at the appalling sweetness of the words, 'I must be going crackers from loss of sleep,' he thought. But deep in his heart a flicker of _something_ rose and embraced the world. Harry placed his things in their proper places, 'I'm also getting to be abnormally neat,' he thought with a smile. He placed his head on a pillow, with a small yawn he went straight to sleep. Blissfully unaware of the dreams that were going to take over him in a few minutes, was there no protection against it? Warm hands surrounding him, but he didn't have that protection. Harsh screams filled the air in minutes but he would remember none of it later, how could he when he didn't want to remember. Torture dealt to his mind when he was most vulnerable, being hurt from the inside so many times would soon change him, whether for the better or for the worse remains to be seen.

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Mouth open in a silent scream Harry woke up. The sunlight from outside streamed in and some of it fell on his face. He heard his aunt calling him from downstairs but he didn't register what she said, he hardly registered her voice. His head was pounding because of what he had seen but it was slowly slipping away from him, like sand; the tighter he held it the faster it slipped away. "Yes Aunt Petunia," he tried to yell though it came out as little more than a croak. He heard footsteps coming up the stairs and the door opened, a very worried Aunt Petunia came in, "What's wrong with you?" she demanded, "It's past nine o' clock in the morning, you never stay in bed this late!" she sounded genuinely worried. Harry could only shake his head, his throat felt like it was on fire. Petunia hurried forward and placed her hand on his forehead, her eyes widened dramatically, 'He's not ill but his skin is so warm and clammy…'

"Did you have a nightmare?" she asked in a far kinder voice than usual.

Harry opened his mouth but instead of his 'no' only a groan came out. "Wait," Petunia told him. Harry fell back on the bed, another kind of bliss. When Petunia came back she saw him like that, on his back, using his hands as a pillow and staring unblinking at the ceiling. When she entered he looked at her once then his gaze went back to the ceiling, undeterred she sat beside him on the bed and offered him a glass of water. He turned to her and took it; she noted that his hands were shaking. After he finished drinking she asked him, "What happened? What did you dream about?"

He didn't answer for a long time, then, "Voldemort is back. He's back and there is a war going on now."

Petunia gasped, she tried to school her face into a mask of shock. It wasn't very hard, she was truly shocked at the expressionless way in which he spoke. The look on her face made Harry sit up and hesitantly say, "Aunt Petunia?" Petunia looked at him, she suddenly bent down and hugged him, "It's alright," she said. "It'll be alright," Harry felt himself drowning in the embrace; he suddenly understood that Petunia was his aunt. His mother's sister, someone related to him by blood. 'Someone who cares…' Harry fell half-asleep in Petunia's arms. Petunia went on rocking him slowly and thought, 'Is it worth it? All the lies, all the hatred. Can he keep on going? I hope he can…he'll be angry when he finds out. But that is planned as well, isn't it? It'll be worth it.' But she knew that it wasn't. Nothing could be worth such a terrible price, 'But whatever I think, I have to play along. It's too late to back out now.'

She sighed and kissed Harry's forehead, like she had so many times in the past years when the night covered her like a dark cloak. She extracted her limbs from Harry's grasp and went downstairs to fix some food for the sleeping boy and her own husband and son. While she worked efficiently in the kitchen Harry woke up. He lay in his place for some time looking at the world through hazy eyes (his glasses were on the dressing table beside his bed where he had been keeping it regularly at night). He pulled himself into a sitting position and put on his glasses. 'Where is Aunt Petunia?' he wondered, 'Was that all just a dream?' he stumbled up from the bed and somehow managed to stay standing until his disorientation went away. He slowly walked downstairs and went to sit down in the one of the two empty chairs. 'That glare again,' Harry thought irritably as Vernon glowered at him.

"Vernon," came Petunia's voice from the kitchen with a warning tone in it. Amazingly enough Vernon went back to the paper in his hands and didn't even glance up at Harry once in the fifteen minutes it took Petunia to finish making the food and appear in the dining room. She came in humming happily and smiled at _both_ the children there. Harry did a double-take while Dudley just gaped at her stupidly and for once Harry couldn't blame him for doing so. Petunia went around the circular table serving everyone. When Dudley tried to take bacon she shook her head and reminded him about the diet he was supposed to be on, she gave him only vegetables. Harry resigned himself to starving until he could sneak out that night and buy some proper food. So imagine his surprise when she gave him more than a quarter of the food on the serving plate. Dudley glared at him from across the table as did his uncle, "Great." Harry thought sarcastically, "Like father, like son!" he ignored it and decided to concentrate on the fact that for once he was going to get a full meal at the Dursley's house. Aunt Petunia kept the dish and sat down to read a magazine. "If any of you need anything, tell me," she said to her husband and Harry. Dudley opened his mouth to say something but Petunia shook her head decisively, "No Dudleykins, you must stick to your diet." Vernon grunted and said, "He's a boxer Petunia, he needs his food."

"But not excessively, I'm sure I want my son to grow up into something more then a prize entertainer people come to gawk at," Petunia replied tartly. Harry quietly took it all in, the resigned look on his uncle's face and the triumphant one on his aunt's told him that this was an age-old argument, 'But why haven't I ever heard it then?' he wondered gazing down at his food. He slowly ate everything and politely shook his head when Petunia offered him more. He excused himself from the table and ran upstairs to the safe sanctuary of his room to sort out the turmoil in his head. He shut the door behind him with a sigh and slid to the floor, sitting with his head between his legs. "Oh God," he murmured, "Now what? Aunt Petunia starts acting like she loves me or something and is putting Dudley on a diet and has been fighting with Uncle Vernon," Harry shook his head, it was too much for his already tired brain to take in, instead he jumped up and decided to pack his bag for the weekly night-trip. He threw in his wand, some money and his diary and accessories. 'I have to change my money into muggle money,' he thought, 'I'll do it tonight,'

There was a knock on the door, "Come in," Harry called. His cousin came in and mumbled something, "What?" asked Harry blankly; Dudley's voice was so low that he could hear nothing. "I said, 'mom asked me to give these clothes to you, they've come back from the laundry'," Dudley said in a louder voice. "Oh, thanks," Harry replied and took the clothes. He turned his back on Dudley and started to clean up the room, an obvious sign that he wanted Dudley gone. But if pigs had enough brains to understand that it might have changed the whole history of the earth. Dudley started poking around curiously, "Where have you got all your freakish stuff hidden, freak?"

'Does he know any word other than freak?' Harry thought irritably, "None of your business," he replied aloud

"But I wanna know!" Dudley whined

'Wanna? What kind of English is that? He has been watching a few too many baby movies,' thought Harry 'and he is a big fat baby himself after all,' he added to himself. To Dudley all he said was "Keep on wanting."

Dudley was nearly in tears, "I'll tell dad and then you'll get it! I know you keep your freak stuff in your room,"

"What does it matter to you?" Harry exploded, "And will you please stop saying freak? If you want to see a freak, go look in a mirror!"

Dudley looked terrified, that was when Harry noticed that a hurricane of fire, water and earth was surrounding him and where he had been standing on the groundthere were beautiful dark red flowers. They were like a protective barrier. Dudley fainted away. Harry looked around him in amazement. He was so shocked that he forgot to be angry and the hurricane slowly receded, the flowers also seemed to dissolve into nothing. "Oh, no," he moaned aloud, "I did magic, according to the ministry it's the third time I've done magic unauthorized! What if they expel me?" In a small bitter part of Harry's subconscious he knew they wouldn't do that, he was too valuable in the fight against Voldemort. Even so, he waited the whole day for a letter from the ministry or at least the Weasleys asking him why he had done magic, but nothing happened. Petunia and Vernon asked Dudley why he had fainted and when he told them, Petunia was adamant in saying that it was completely Dudley's fault. Soon enough it was nighttime and the only letters he had seen were muggle ones, not one owl was seen the whole day on the clear blue sky.

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Okay, that's the first chapter. If anyone thinks it is worth something then I'll continue. And it's not going to be the usual Harry goes dark plot. I already have my plot and I'm quite sure that it's original. 


	2. Surprises

Disclaimer- Normal Disclaimer applies.

Okay, I'm really sorry, I know I haven't updated in like a year but I was on a writer's block. I couldn't write anything! Not to mention those stupid traitors, 'friends' indeed! (mutters angrily) anyway, I don't want to bore you. You can move on to the story now.

Important! By The Way- I'm putting the names in '' according to Harry's perception of things. Until he starts thinking of them as real peoples' names they won't be put out of ''

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Chapter 2- Surprises

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_History is a one-sided story and the winners write the tale.__

* * *

_Harry mused on the job he had taken on as he double-checked his story whilst waiting for midnight, to make sure theDursleys' fell asleep before he went out. He remembered the day he had been glancing through the advertisements in the Muggle paper that came to the Dursleys' house. His gaze had immediately fallen upon one that said **'Do You Want To Be A Writer? To Be Published And Get Paid For It?' **

It had caught his interest and he had scanned the rules and regulations. It had seemed that all he would have to do was send a short story or a poem or a report of something that had happened around their neighborhood. Three would be selected and sent a paycheck and would have to send a writing every fortnight from then on, and they would be paid the same day that their writings were published.

Harry had double-checked the identity of the magazine that was advertising by casually questioning his uncle and it had seemed to be of good repute so he had wasted no more time.

He had written a story on the daily life of a normal person in England. After that he had gotten up early every day for a month so that none of the Dursleys could find out. They had been suspicious but they had chalked it up to him finally realizing how good they actually were to him and hadn't questioned.

Finally when he was losing hope, he saw a letter with his name on it and it certainly wasn't from Hogwarts. He suspected that his OWL results wouldn't be coming until much later.

Since then he had been giving writing stories or poems and sending them, and receiving checks every fortnight. Harry glanced at the new glow-in-the-dark watch he had recently bought and saw that it was nearly midnight. He sat up and stretched then put his writing and all the materials quietly aside then slung on the bag in which he kept anything he might need. Money, a small pad and pen, a map…

He opened the window carefully and slipped out onto the ledge with the silence of long practice. He made sure that the window wouldn't accidentally close because he would be stuck outside for the whole night if he was unable to sneak in through the window.

When outside he fumbled while taking his wand out of the back pocket of his jeans. He held it out with his right hand and, like every Saturday for the past few weeks, the Knight Bus appeared.

He jumped on. The conductor of the bus said chirpily, "Hullo, where would ya be goin' at this time o' the night mate?"

Harry was surprised, "Hello, where's the old conductor? You are new, right?"

The boy nodded cheerfully, "Aye, me name's Stuart. The other guy broke 'is leg trying to jump around on the bus. Ah reckon 'e was trying to impress the chicks," he winked at Harry and went on, "What's your name then?"

"Me? Uh…" Harry felt uncomfortable with his real name, "Oh…my name's," he thought quickly, "Raven,"

"Raven," Stuart raised one eyebrow in a suspicious way but then he shrugged and said, "So where to, mate?"

Harry bit his lip while thinking then he finally said, "Knockturn Alley,"

"Knockturn Alley?" Stuart gaped at him, "What would you be wanting there? It's an evil place, that it is. Not safe for the likes of you and me"

Harry smiled politely and asked him the fare for Knockturn Alley, "Eh? One sickle," Stuart replied though shock was still written on every pore of his face.

Harry handed over the fare when they arrived, which Harry could swear had only been a few minutes though the traveling distance should have taken a lot more time than that. He tenderly massaged the back of his head where he had gotten hurt during the wild bus ride.

'It's a wonder he ever got a driving license,' Harry grumbled mentally. He stopped moving when he realized he had no idea where he currently was. 'Okay,' he tried to cool down, 'Where exactly is that map of mine?'

A few minutes later he was near the shop he wanted to be, "Aha! A left here then a right and…Ouch!" he exclaimed as he walked into what seemed like a brick wall.

"I'm sorry," said a soft, cultured voice, "Are you al…Harry!"

Harry stared at the faintly familiar blonde boy, "Uh, forgive me for asking…" he began but he was not allowed to finish as another blonde boy came out of the shop which he himself had wanted to enter.

The second blonde asked the first one, "What happened, Lucifer?"

'Lucifer?' Harry thought blinking to clear his eyes, 'What a strange name to give someone'

That was when he noticed that he knew the second blonde very well indeed. "Malfoy!" he exclaimed

Draco's eyes widened as he noticed Harry, "Oh my God! No, don't ask any questions. Not yet at least," he said noticing Harry opening his mouth, "Siri, Seth!" he called into the shop

Two voices came back at him, "Yeah?"

"What's up Apollo?"

"Houston, we have a problem," 'Apollo' shot back

"What do you mean?" a brunette came out and asked when his gaze fell on Harry and his mouth fell open, "Close your mouth or a fly will go in Siri," reprimanded 'Lucifer'

A redhead came out, Harry assumed this to be 'Seth', and he too saw Harry but his reaction wasn't as extreme as the others, "To Headquarters then?" 'Seth' asked

The others nodded and 'Siri' held out his hand for Harry to take. Harry shook his head, "Not until I know who you are," he said

"Sorry, but we can't risk that over here," replied the brunette but he smiled at Harry and said, "Trust me, we mean you no harm. Never have and don't mind Apollo he's just jealous."

"Am not," 'Apollo' muttered from behind but then added, "Quick, he hasn't got any Illusion spell on him- he's bound to be recognized soon. And they'll know he isn't licensed!"

Harry knew it was a split second decision…and he took the boy's hand. Somehow he felt he could trust them, even Draco seemed all right; if not actually rolling out the Welcome Wagon.

Harry watched amazed as a silver light shone out from their hands. They joined hands to form a circle and left Harry a place between 'Siri' and 'Lucifer'. He stepped in and they were immediately transferred to another place.

Harry glanced around and noted that the place was very beautiful but he was too impatient for answers to notice any details.

"So?" he demanded as soon as the silvery light receded

"So what?" asked 'Apollo' obviously teasing him

Harry fought hard to keep under control, he said through gritted teeth, "So would you _gentlemen_," the sardonic way in which that was said made 'Siri' smile sheepishly and the others wince, "care to explain now?"

"Well," 'Lucifer' started, "I'm guessing we should begin with who we really are,"

'Seth' interrupted, "Or rather, who you know us as,"

'Apollo' rolled his eyes, "Same thing,"

"I rather doubt that, but can we get back on subject now?" asked 'Siri'

"Okay, well you already know me don't you Harry?" asked 'Apollo'

Harry blinked a little and shook his head as if to clear it, "Did you just call me Harry…?" he asked

'Siri' giggled at that, 'Seth' came up next, "I'm not sure if you know me from school or not, but in school everyone calls me Terry Boots. I'm in Ravenclaw."

'Lucifer' and 'Siri' hesitated then 'Siri' stepped up boldly, "Harry, I usually have a glamour spell on at school. I'll turn that spell on now, I'm in Gryffindor, my name here is Osiris though I'm usually called 'Siri'" he was about to do the spell but 'Lucifer' interrupted, "No, wait"

'Osiris' raised an eyebrow quizzically, 'Lucifer' said, "We'll gave to explain the whole guardian thing to him before we explain why you're in Gryffindor so let me go first. I'll have less explanations"

'Osiris' nodded the go-ahead, 'Lucifer' sighed, again in the softly cultured voice he said, "Harry, I'm sure you recognize me really. It's just that you aren't thinking. I was in Hufflepuff and I was a prefect. I also went on dates with Cho Chang."

Harry frowned, "The only person I know who went out with Cho is Cedric, but he's dead!"  
'Lucifer' shook his head and performed a small glamour spell that turned his features less angular and more boyish and innocent.

Harry gasped, "Cedric it really is you!" he exclaimed

Cedric smiled, "But over here I'm known as Lucifer,"

Seth said, "We should really tell him about the power thing now,"

Harry shook his head, "First tell me how he's," he nodded at Cedric, "here. I saw him die!"

"Comes along with the package, take one- get the other free." Apollo snapped

'Osiris' hit him lightly, "Calm down, you knew this day was going to come! It would have come sooner or later."

"I would have preferred later rather than sooner," Apollo muttered, though he was not really annoyed, he looked more worried

Osiris shook his head and sighed, "Don't mind him. What we're trying to explain is rather difficult."

Seth said, "I don't think you'll be able to take the shock…it's just that,"

"Just what?" Harry insisted

Cedric or Lucifer sighed and muttered, "Putting it off isn't going to help any guys,"

"So you do it why don't you?" Osiris replied defensively but he continued anyway, "Harry, though we train at a wizarding school, we're not exactly wizards. We're mages"

"Mages?" Harry questioned, "What's that?"

"It means we can control one of the six basic elements. Now," Seth ignored the puzzled look he was being sent, Lucifer interrupted, "Why don't we sit down first? This is probably going to take a long time,"

Everyone sat down on various places in the grassy hillside and Apollo continued in place of Osiris, "Now, there are lots of people who can control the elements, in fact, there is a different dimension in which people might gape if they were asked what a wizard was,"

"Not likely," Lucifer snorted, "We're much better taught there than here."

"Figure of speech, Luc" replied Seth

"Even so, I agree with Luc, we're so _oppressed _here," exclaimed Osiris

"Do I have their majesty's permission to go on now?" demanded Apollo

"Sure, go right on, slave," teased Lucifer waving one hand casually

Apollo stuck his tongue out at him and Harry felt himself relaxing into the atmosphere that reminded him so irrepressibly of the Weasleys

Seth shook his head in an amused manner and went on while Luc and Apollo bantered, "The difference is that not only are we mages in this dimension, we were born here,"

"So what's the big deal with that?" Harry was confused, he added, "And what does that have to do with me?"

"I'm getting to that," Seth replied, "The difference is that most mages have to be in that surrounding to get their powers."

Harry shot him a quizzical look. Apollo noticed and said, "There is a different sort of magic in the environment there. Just like everyone has a certain amount of potential to be a wizard, anyone can be a mage.

"But the potential usually can't be tapped unless you're one of the prince's guardians, in which case you would have it from birth no matter where and be able to call upon a weapon of your choice. Or else if you're the prince, the _Elemental Child _you will receive the powers on or sometime before your sixteenth birthday."

Osiris continued, "But in rare cases the power is suppressed in him or her or there is too much untapped energy, the Child may receive their legacy sometime after."

Harry said, "Wait a minute! I still don't see where this is leading!"

Apollo huffed and said, "You idiot! Didn't you notice the magic you did yesterday wasn't even noticed by the Ministry? That was because it was elemental magic and cannot be sensed by anyone other than a mage!"

Harry frowned, "Oh, yes…hey! How did you know I had done magic yesterday?"

Luc smiled gently at the ever-confused boy and said, "We're mages too, we can sense it,"

Harry started with a sinking heart, "Are you telling me that…?"

"You're the Child?" Apollo asked and went on without stopping, "Yes! And what's more, you received it so late because of those so-called 'friends' of yours who never let you know about this!"

"You could have died from your body being ripped apart at so much sudden power!" exclaimed Osiris

"What's more is that you should never have had to stay with these people you call your relatives, both your parents were mages. Your mother, however, cannot have been born here because she wasn't a guardian but she was a practicing mage. A Child's mate or spouse can never be one of the guardians. Therefore your mother had come from our original homeland, 'Lementia'" Seth paused here to see whether Harry was following, from the cold glint of steel in his eyes Seth knew he was.

Luc added his say here, "And you were the Boy-Who-Lived because of the untapped potential in you. The six elements are- Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and on a different level- Light and Dark, you being the Child you can control any and all of these. Avada Kedavra is actually a spell of Dark magic so it couldn't harm you"

"But my scar?" questioned Harry, "How come it always tingled when Voldemort was near? And I have dreams where I see through his eyes,"

Luc's mouth went into a thin line of rage, "The tingling was most likely a spell placed on you by Dumbledore to make sure you didn't guess about your powers, and about the dreams…"

Osiris, who was frowning as well said, "Haven't you ever wondered why you never had them before your fifth year?

"Those were probably caused by the normal seer power that you do have, acting up because of too much unused energy. Unfortunately, since you hadn't had too much practice; you could only see a little into the future so by the time anyone did anything about it would probably seem to have happened at more or less the same time you had the dream"

"So Neville should have been the actual Boy-Who-Lived?" asked Harry

Luc hesitated, "Well, no I wouldn't say that"

"Why not?" Harry asked

"We'll talk about that later," Osiris interrupted, "Let me introduce myself first," he muttered a glamour charm and he changed into a very familiar person to Harry

"Oh my God!" Harry exclaimed, "It's you!"

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Guess who? Please review, once again I'm very sorry for this late update. That's why I made it extra-large. Just as an apology! No flames! If you fell grossed out by anything I'm sure you could express it in _polite_ language, spell-check it and I'll see what can be done. 


	3. A Problem

Okay, firstly- congrats to **jbcna** for getting the right answer! Sorry **icklecassikins** but I mentioned that the person was in Gryffindor. And A Great Big Thanks to everyone who reviewed and didn't flame for the major delay. And I don't know anything really about Terry Boots; so forgive me if I make any mistakes. Also, don't bother correcting me- I won't change anything because anything i've written could be important to the plot.

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Chapter 3- A Problem

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_There are three sides to every situation. Their side, your side and the truth.

* * *

Harry gazed with amazement at his old classmate to whom he had never really paid much attention. _

Neville smiled rather nervously, "Close your mouth or a fly will go in," he joked

Harry murmured, "Pinch me, I think I'm dreaming,"

Apollo smiled mischievously and obliged. Harry's reaction was instant, "Ow!" he turned to glare at Apollo, "Oh, thanks a lot!" he said sarcastically

"Don't mention it," he returned with an innocent smile that fooled no one.

"Anyway, I still haven't understood one thing," began Harry

"What's that?" asked Neville or rather, Osiris

"How come he's alive?" he pointed at Lucifer

Lucifer frowned and moved to a cross-legged position, but the frown wasn't one of anger more as if he was pondering the answer, he started slowly, "I'm not quite sure but I think I somehow transported myself and my element, air, made a dummy of me and _that_ was what died,"

From the looks on the others' faces this was obviously an old mystery.

Seth interrupted the thoughtful silence that had come over by asking, "Did anything weird happen? Except for you receiving your legacy that is."

Harry mused on the question, "No…well, yes. But nothing that you could explain,"

Osiris, who had taken off the spell, smiled and told him, "You would be surprised,"

"Yeah, Potter, tell us," Apollo said lounging lazily

"Don't call me Potter," Harry snapped, "I have a name,"

Apollo fell over in surprise and Lucifer and Osiris didn't even bother to stifle their laughter. "Kitty-cat's showing his claws," Apollo replied

Seth rolled his eyes, "Stop it Apollo, and go on Harry," though even he had smiled

Harry shrugged, "It's nothing much really, just that my aunt's being nice to me and she used to hate my guts before this."

Apollo sat up suddenly, "Uh Oh!" Osiris stopped chuckling.

Seth's eyes widened, the first time he had really shown any emotions since Harry had met him, "So they're going to do it…" he muttered, "They're really going to do it," he ran a hand through his crimson hair

Lucifer frowned in anger, "I told you we should have done something about it!" he exclaimed

"What's past is past," replied Osiris. "We have to think about what we're going to do now!"

Harry stared at all of them in turn, confusion clearly written on his features, "Uh…would you mind explaining who's going to do what?" he asked Seth since he seemed the calmest

Seth sighed and nodded, "Guys," he said in a calm voice, which nevertheless quietened the other three from their discussion of the cruelest tortures to be found. Harry was surprised to see the amount of venom in the usually calm Lucifer's voice.

'He's obviously their leader, probably unofficial; Malfoy would never let anyone rule over him,' Harry thought then he noticed Seth was speaking to him.

"I'll let Lucifer explain, he knows more anyway," he was saying.

Harry moved to face Lucifer with an air of mild curiosity around him though, in reality, he was dying to know what had happened to shock all of them. Lucifer started, "First I should explain that I have still been going to Hogwarts for the last year. I took on my real form and the money was paid out of…work that we all do," he indicated the others

"Because my element surrounds everyone I can spy on anyone at any given time. All I have to do is feel through my element instead of my physical body. Of course; I also have to know where the person is but because I can contact the others, they can tell me,"

"We'll explain how later," Seth interrupted Harry before he asked, "Luc, go on,"

Lucifer did so, "Through an unnamed person we managed to find out exactly when all the Order of the Phoenix meetings were going to be held and either Seth or I always…uh," he stuttered at this point but Osiris calmly finished, "They eavesdropped or spied, best words for it really,"

To the four boys surprise, Harry looked more amused than anything else, "Frankly, I think they deserved it Osiris," he said astonishing them further

Osiris beamed then said, "Just call me Siri; all my friends do,"

Harry nodded slowly then grinned, "Well, anyway Lucifer; what did you find out that's so worrying?" he turned back to the blonde who was watching them with a hint of strange happiness in his eyes.

"Well, apparently all of them want to make you as dependent on _Dumbledore_," he spat out the name, "and those two Gryffindor friends of yours. More so Ronald than Hermione because Hermione would be too smart and would make you be independent…"

"So that's why they've been sending you to your relatives all these days. And also, it seemed that even though your uncle truly hated magic, your aunt only pretended to do so because she was told it was for your own good." Apollo took up the story, obviously tired of keeping quiet.

Then Osiris took over, "But after last year, they seemed not to want you to stay there any more…but they also wanted to make you even more emotionally dependent on themselves. So they decided they were going to make your aunt be nice to you then they were going to kill her and the whole family if need be."

Harry stared at them in shock then he said softly, "You're lying, that can't be true." But all the time he was remembering something that had happened a long time ago. When his uncle wanted to throw him out but his aunt made him stay, 'They had already talked before. But it can't be true…' "It just can't!" he screamed the last part aloud

The others didn't insist but Osiris and, shockingly, Apollo moved to his side and tried to comfort him by hugging him and rubbing his back and Harry couldn't help himself. Deprived of loving touch for so long that he had forgotten (or perhaps never known) what it felt like; he started sobbing his pain out. They sat there for a long time, Apollo and Osiris patiently soothing him and sometimes Lucifer and Seth saying some calming words or giving a reassuring touch.

Slowly Harry calmed down and finally he moved back, blushing from embarrassment as he muttered, "Sorry, be…being so silly," he hiccupped suddenly.

"It's okay," said Lucifer, smiling in a charming lop-sided manner at him

"Yes, there was a 97 percent chance of that happening," said Seth nodding wisely

Harry stared at him while Osiris rolled his eyes and said, "Seth? You're doing it again."

Seth shrugged and said, "Sorry," looking, of course, extremely unrepentant.

Apollo said, "It's getting late, everyone. We have to do something!"

Lucifer frowned, "It's too dangerous for Harry to be going back," he hesitated, "Unless you want to, that is…"

He left it on a questioning note, Harry asked, "Is there no way in which we can save my aunt and her family?" but the sad way in which he said it made it obvious that he held no hope.

Seth sighed, "I'm afraid not, your things are connected to us so the most we could do is get your things out of their but unless your relatives," his nose scrunched up at the word, "come by their own choice we can't make them come…"

"And you know best about what chance there is of that." Osiris finished quietly

Harry inquired, "If we did get them out, is there any place for them to stay?"

Lucifer answered, "Yes, there is. You see, we've all left home and now in the holidays we stay together in a place absolutely in the border between the magical and muggle worlds,"

Harry cocked his head, he looked as if he was going to ask something else but instead he got up and said firmly, "We have to at the least try to get them out of the house before something happens,"

Osiris stood up as well and dusting himself off, said, "I'm right beside you,"

Lucifer jumped up immediately, "It's only right,"

Seth got up in a more dignified manner, "Yes, it's unfair for them to be mixed up in this in the first place,"

They all looked at Apollo, he stared up at them and said slowly, "Too much innocent blood…"

Lucifer raised an eyebrow, "Apollo? That was scary…is anything wrong?"

Apollo shook his head no then stood up, "Let's go, and let's hurry. Anyway we'll look like ruffians in these clothes. We have to arrive there before night settles in."

In another moment they were walking down a side-alley which would take them to Privet Drive. There was a comfortable silence as they hurried until a scream reached their ears, "Run!" shouted Osiris, the first to react but though it was a shortcut they still took too much time to reach and all they saw was a scene of disaster.

Lucifer glanced at Harry worriedly, thinking that he might well start screaming or try to go for revenge. But the boy in question was simply staring, his lips had gone absolutely white.

"Harry," Apollo stated, a bit of a question in the word.

Harry turned his face towards Apollo, and Apollo only stifled his gasp of surprise because of the years of practice he had had. He stepped forward hesitantly; it was obvious that Harry had gone into shock.

Meanwhile, Seth analyzed their surroundings and noted the fact that only one house had been burnt down. 'If it was Voldemort doing it or if it was caused naturally then the other houses would have been at least singed.' He mused then said, aloud, "We have to go from here, now,"

Lucifer, who had been looking through the remains to find any clues, or alternately, the dead people; called back to them suddenly, "Guys, I don't want to cry wolf, but I can't find any bodies!"

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And that is, really, that! Please review, no flaming! 


	4. A Proposal

Thankies for all the reviews! Sorry for the lateness but I had a massive writer's bock. Some people are having problems remembering the names-:

* * *

**Draco- The most beautiful- Apollo  
****Cedric- Dangerous and handsome- Lucifer  
****Neville- Has power which he doesn't use often- Osiris  
****Terry- Knows all the strategies- Seth (Ravenclaw remember?) **

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Now, on to the story-

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'Good' and 'Peace' are relative terms; they wouldn't exist if we didn't have 'Bad' and 'War'

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Chapter 4- A Proposal

"What?" asked Osiris in disbelief, "You're joking!"

"No, he isn't," this was Seth who had moved to Lucifer's side, "I can't find any indications of any bodies!"

Apollo kept firm hold of Harry in case he tried something brave and foolish but Harry seemed rooted to the spot in disbelief. Then he started speaking, "So, they might be alive? We have to fi…find them…" it started as an exclamation but it was obvious that he would soon faint. And when he did, Apollo picked him up and said, "Probably shock and exhaustion," in a voice far gentler than most people believed he had.

Osiris reacted immediately, "Let's take him home with us; one way or the other we have to, right?"

Lucifer sighed, "We should have told him this earlier, so we had some chance of saving his relatives,"

"There was _never_ any chance Lucifer!" Seth exclaimed, losing his air of impenetrable calmness for the first time.

"Don't fight now, guys!" this was from Osiris

"Yeah, fight when we're at home and Harry is in bed with some semblance of protection," Apollo joked though edgily, unsurprising considering the tense air but finally the other three smiled back at him uneasily.

Lucifer was the first to move and stand beside Apollo; the other two followed him swiftly. "Apparition?" Osiris asked

After a moment Seth shook his head, "Instant Transfer,"

No one questioned his choice and soon they were in the living room of a manor. The room was lit up by candles kept in careful spots by loving hands and a blazing fire which made the shadows dance merrily and at any other time all four would have stopped to play with the shadows but at the moment they had work to do.

Apollo set Harry down on the couch and tried to settle him though he had started thrashing about. Seth placed one hand on his forehead and gave his verdict, "Intense fever and he's probably delirious,"

"Better not wake him up then," Osiris, the 'Mother Hen' of the group took over, "Luc, get a blanket and an ice-pack. Apollo try to calm him down; we can't very well treat someone who doesn't _want_ to be cured and Seth, you search for some general healing potions; I'm nearly sure we haven't got any for fever." Determinedly he added, "_I_ am going to cook for all of us,"

No one disagreed or fought against Osiris ordering them. He was the kindest of the group and thus, most suited to take care while someone was sick.

Afterwards they all sat down on chairs in a semi-circle before the couch. Osiris force-fed Harry, who was now calm under Apollo's gentle ministrations.

"So now what?" asked Lucifer, breaking the tension-filled silence.

"So now we cross our fingers and hope for the best," shot Apollo

"Calm down, Apollo," admonished Seth and poured a glass of an unknown something for him that nevertheless calmed him down.

Osiris, having exchanged places with Apollo for convenience, seemed to be in his own world as he always was when healing someone. Apollo stared down into his cup at the last of the mauve liquid.

He didn't bother to speak out loud, he simply looked at the others and they knew. Even Osiris looked up sharply and shook his head, no. "Again? So fast? Impossible," he said

Apollo half-smiled bitterly, "Since when was that word in our vocabulary, Siri?" he asked though it was really rhetorical.

Lucifer stood up at this time and said, firmly, "It is time for bed, come on,"

"What about Harry?" Seth asked, "What if he has another nightmare?"

Osiris opened his mouth but Lucifer beat him to it, "He can stay with me, I'm the best bet since Apollo's been his enemy for so long and Siri is so tired."

"You're sure?" Osiris asked uncertainly

"Yes, Luc's right," this was Seth, then with a wicked grin he added, "If you need to mother someone, there's always Apollo,"

"So I'm a guinea pig am I?" Apollo asked indignantly

Seth went quiet and changed the subject abruptly, "And what about the _other thing_? When do we tell him about that?"

"When he wakes up," Apollo shrugged carelessly

"Don't take it so easy," Seth warned, "He might not be too happy about it,"

"We'll see, won't we?" Apollo replied

Osiris called out, "Enough already! C'mon up to bed, alright?"

Lucifer was already halfway up the stairs with Harry in his arms and Osiris was standing with one hand on the banister at the foot of the stairs. The two hesitated then followed; Seth with a nod of acknowledgement at the stalemate, Apollo without a flicker.

The night that followed was far from blissful but better than some nights…

Osiris, specially, stayed awake most of the night. He was wondering, 'How is he? I think he will accept our offer to join us but what Seth said…so true. But his past isn't so different from ours. After all, the most important thing was always parents! Apollo's didn't love him; mine were tortured to insanity; Luc's always wanted him to be the greatest regardless of what _he_ wanted and we really don't know what happened to Seth…I just hope Harry joins us or else we'll never be complete!' he tossed and turned on his bed desperately until a hand reached in to stroke his feverish brow, "What's wrong Siri?" a soft, careful voice. Osiris instinctively knew it was Seth, he scooted over and Seth slipped in to lie beside him and repeated his question, "What's wrong Siri?"

Osiris felt too tired to even answer with his mouth, _"I'm too restless, I just can't sleep, how did you know anyway?"_

Seth felt the warm bubbling tones of the brook in Osiris' mind-voice and answered with his own, _"Of course I knew, we all knew. The others were worried about you but 'pollo felt he wasn't the best to talk with right now and Luc is occupied so I came."_ He turned so that he could hold Osiris with both arms and pulled him close.

Osiris reveled in the warm earthy tenor that muffled his worries and hurt, physical and mental and slowly he fell to sleep. Before he fell right asleep he unconsciously sent the concern signals he did every night to the other three but tonight he sent four and four other signals answered him pulsing bright and reassuring.

"Good morning, 'pollo," said Seth calmly as he stepped off the last of the stairs. Apollo answered with a growl and by clutching the mug of whatever he was drinking closer.

Harry, who was coming down by leaning on Lucifer, stared at him. "Don't mind him, he's always like that in the morning, it's the cold weather," he murmured to Harry and mildly warned Apollo, "Coffee again? Siri will bust a vein,"

Apollo answered with another grunt but then he said, not quite civilly but close enough, "Where is Siri anyway?"

Seth answered, "He's dressing, I let him oversleep for once."

And Luc exclaimed suddenly, "His not-so-high-ness has deigned to speak to us in the morning, this is something that must go down in history! Quick Seth, do some tests to find out the how and why!"

Seth shook his head, amused but didn't say anything.

Apollo, on the other hand, 'muttered', "Prat!" in a not-so-low voice. A slow smile spread over Harry's face as he remembered dozens of similar conversations he had heard in the Weasley family. Then his face took on a sad expression as he realized that they probably wouldn't be able to speak to him ever again.

The trio of friends all noticed this and tried to help in their own way. Lucifer tightened his arm around Harry's neck, Apollo grumbled so as to make the atmosphere more homey and Seth offered

It looked as if it was going to be quite a long silence but someone's footsteps could be heard on the curved staircase and mutterings of, "Who let me sleep in?" and "Oh, Cerberus' seventh head, it's so late" could be heard then a sudden scream. Harry looked up; horrified as he saw Osiris falling and time seemed to slow down so that he could see every second and yet it happened so fast that he couldn't move to help. In his despair and helplessness, the world went black once more.

In less than a second, Apollo had picked Harry up and deposited him on a couch and Osiris in Lucifer's arms was trying to see what Seth was doing. Seth had wet a cloth and was wiping Harry's forehead and arms with it.

"What went wrong with him?" asked Apollo, frowning.

Lucifer sat down in front of the couch with Osiris sitting in his lap and noted how similar, yet _so_ different, this was to the day before. He told Apollo, "Maybe it was just plain fright, y'know: 'One of my friends is getting hurt and I can't help,' and he's probably pretty empathic from yesterday."

Apollo shook his head, "He's got some serious problems,"

Lucifer grinned, "What?" asked Apollo warily, "Never mind," Lucifer replied innocently, "But you seem to care so mu…"

At that moment Harry came to with a groan, "Wha happ'ned?" he said groggily

"You fainted," explained Osiris gently

"Not again," he complained and, with Osiris and Seth's help, got up while Lucifer looked around for something 'nutritious' to give him.

"Exactly what I was thin…" started Apollo before he started to choke on the now-cold coffee he had been drinking while holding up the day's _Trumpet _to read.

Lucifer thumped Apollo on the back. The moment Apollo recovered he thrust the paper in Harry's face and yelled, "What do we do now!" which was more of a panic attack than an actual question.

"Well, maybe if I could actually see the paper…?" spluttered Harry trying not to go cross-eyed from the tiny writing less than an inch from his face.

"I must admit that I am curious too," added Seth from beside Harry

Apollo dropped the paper onto Harry's lap and they all saw the headlines, _"The End Of The Boy-Who-Lived?"_

Harry's eyes scanned the page and he collapsed back on the couch tiredly. Seth read more slowly and thoughtfully, "Harry?"

"Yea?" was the muffled answer

"Do you want to go back? If you desire we can take you back to Hogwarts and create some story about how you were kidnapped…" his voice trailed off uncertainly, a rare occurrence but then again, what was normal in that day?

"Am I the only one who doesn't know what's going on yet?" demanded Osiris though, characteristically, in a much gentler voice than the average person.

"Nope, I'm out of the conspiracy too," joked Lucifer

"Here," Harry grabbed the paper from Seth and tossed it at Lucifer; automatically disregarding Osiris, who was still sitting, as being able to catch properly.

Osiris stood up and easily intercepted the paper, he smiled at Harry and said in his sweet voice, "Don't judge a book by it's cover, dear,"

Then he read through the paper quickly as well as Lucifer, who was reading over his shoulder. "So the basics of this," Lucifer waved the paper he had taken from Osiris around, "is that they can't find you and think you're dead? Do you want to correct that misconception or do you want to stay?" He asked the last part bluntly knowing that it was now or never

Harry jerked up and as his arm fell away from his face the surprise in his eyes was obvious, "You would let me stay?" he asked disbelievingly

"Sure, why not?" Apollo shrugged, "It's not as if another person more or less would matter,"

"And as it seems you have no control over your magic and we are your guardians, perhaps we can take this opportunity to train," said Seth

Harry nodded as a slow smile took over his face

* * *

Alright, I'll admit it. I'm lazy and this chapter was more of a transition than anything really important. Please review!


	5. Developments

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_Terrible is the arrogance of Youth, and its vulnerability._

* * *

Severus Snape swept through the stone corridors, as imposing as ever. Students, especially first-years scuttling out of his way. At most times, this sight would have filled him with complete enjoyment but he was finally free of his duties as deputy headmaster and the thought of how he had come to have this position still hurt so deep the most days he refused to have anything to do with the memory. 

Now, he was impatiently hurrying towards his quarters, he was expecting a visitor but his face was still fixed with his legendary scowl. The end of the war had indeed left him less burdened with bitterness and fear- and a little amazed at the forgiveness he had found from the only person who mattered. However, he firmly asserted to this very person that the children were still dunderheads and would always remain so.

He quietly muttered the password only four people other than him knew. Headmistress McGonagall, the two prefects(1) from his House and,

Harry looked up from where he was sitting next to the fire but he didn't really focus on Severus. Severus swiftly shed his outer cloak, put on a pair of comfortable slippers and sat down on a couch across from him with a book in his lap. He knew never to push Harry to talk in these strange moods, when he wanted to talk he would and sooner or later he _would_ want to talk. Nevertheless the book in his lap remained unread with a long stained finger marking the page at which it was open. Instead he observed the comfortably large room all in dark browns and blues. Couches arranged around a tea table near the fire, not that he often had visitors to tea but it had seemed like a good idea. The warm dark brown bookshelves were all in two sections, his research books and journals in one and interesting novels (particularly detective-stories(2)) which he enjoyed.

The orange glow from the fireplace gave light to these and set shadows jumping and shifting playfully but they seemed to focus most of their roaring flames on the glitter of Harry's eyes. "We were stupid then, weren't we?" he said suddenly, despairingly

Severus knew what time he was talking about but he realized that Harry was not looking for an answer, or even consolation- everyone had made excuses for him, over and over again but he had never made any for himself. All he wanted Severus to do was listen.

So listen Severus did, "I knew, we all knew that however powerful we were, we still didn't have control. We didn't even have the knowledge Hermione did and we had no way of getting it either. But we were so sure of ourselves that we thought we didn't need it and we didn't want to admit that we were scared of what other people would say." He stopped again for a long moment and Severus wondered for a moment if he had not fallen asleep.

Harry swallowed what sounded a bit like a sob, "We shouldn't have cared about that but it was what mattered most. Even then we knew we couldn't have saved the Dursleys" (soon after the confirmation of their death he had stopped calling them his family(3) in any sense). "Maybe if we had brought some news to someone here…" he trailed off. They both knew even an owl would take almost a day to travel from where they had been, and the Dursleys had had a thankfully swift execution, though not painless especially not for Petunia Dursley who had actually tried to defend her nephew.

Strangely, no one seemed to know when-or how- they had actually left safety and fallen into Death Eater hands. Or how Lord Voldemort knew that they could be useful to him. "We believed everything was black and white, you know," he said it softly, shame in his voice as if making a horrible confession. "We didn't even learn from learning about each other- we still thought that everyone was either evil or good. We thought Profes…the late Headmaster," (It gave Severus a shock, the shame that would not allow Harry to call Albus his own. He himself had been hurt by the old man in his life and by his death but Harry had had things to be forgiven and many, many things to forgive. The old man should have lived.) It was the same way with Hermione and Ron, in moving ahead Harry had left them behind. They had never quite been able to catch up and had blamed him for it, as they always had.

He had asked _"Have you spoken with them yet?"  
_"_Have they apologized to me yet?"_ yet he had said it quite calmly. Severus had felt how desperately they wanted each other back every time he saw the three in the same room.

"We simply assumed he was completely evil, the late Headmaster- that he would join Voldemort, we hated him so much we forgot how hard he had fought against the Dark, I honestly believed he would have killed the Dursleys! If we had known better," Harry turned to look at Severus for the first time and asked him, very seriously, "if we had known better, things would have been very different wouldn't they?"

It was such a childish question and Severus felt like withering it with scorn but part of it was desperation, because he himself had wondered the same. Had rethought those days out, moment by moment wondering how to convince five powerful young wizards that they were causing more harm than good.

Severus nodded, pinned by those eyes which had suddenly become burning, bright points, the fire in those eyes just as suddenly flickered and became dim pools of light as he lay back on the carpet and looked up at him.

_Severus hesitated a second, I write this, he began, not as an autobiography of a great man or a battle, it was the story of a child, of many children becoming adults too young to understand the responsibilities thrust upon them. They did much harm and I began my book showing this private scene because it was requested so by Harry Potter himself. He would not, he says, wish anyone to repeat his mistakes. Severus hesitated another moment and wondered when he had become so kind. He would never have agreed to this kind of nonsense before. He went on writing,_

_1. The younger students often had problems, nightmares and the like. When it was desperately required; prefects were allowed to call their Head of House to deal with the child._

_2. Agatha Christie was a particular favorite, again Severus hesitated before writing down of Harry, Mr. Potter would seem needlessly formal. My own preference was for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle._

_3. I was never quite sure whether this was brought on by the reminder; if not for him they might have been safe. Or if it was merely the natural result of years of abuse, however, I always felt there was something about their interactions that he kept back.  
_"_Perhaps one day I'll tell you," said Harry, reading over his shoulder and added teasingly, "but I'll need quite a lot of chocolate first,"_

Excerpts are from "Growing Pains" written by Severus Snape, co-written by Harry Potter; permission has been taken from publisher and authors alike.

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Power buzzed in the little house, Harry had no control over his own magic and the others knew they were untraceable; the Ministry could not reach this house so they were eager to feel the energy they knew would feel like nothing on earth. They helped his control the best way they knew, reaching out with their own powers they showed him to sort out his own spells. 

"This is," Apollo explained lazily, "the most difficult thing to understand for anyone who isn't born with mage powers,"

Harry could well believe it, the others sitting around had laughed at his amazement when he had realized that there were no fixed words to activate spells. And that each spell you ever created whether it be to kill a hyperactive Dark Lord or create an amusement park out of chocolate would become an almost living part of you. They would talk to you and try to help you.

Siri sat near the window-sill stroking the plants in the window-boxes. Harry still wasn't quite comfortable with his old friend in this new, confident guise. They had talked earlier and Harry had felt especially uncomfortable about fainting twice but everyone else seemed happy to forget about it. He still wasn't sure what they did though, and he asked now.

"I have, for various reasons," Apollo shrugged delicately, "inherited most of my family's vast estates. I take care of them."

Harry had almost forgotten about Lucius Malfoy ending up in jail. A day ago needling Draco about it would have been a highlight of his day but he had accepted a truce.

Luc said, "I could always draw rather well, my mum and dad," here he stopped suddenly as if with pain and his eyes darkened for a moment before he went on, "my mum and dad had encouraged all of my interests so now I illustrate books for a pretty hefty price. Anonymously, of course," he added the last with a wry glance at Seth who started saying "Safe..." 'ty first,' everyone finished in unison.

"Sometimes, you remind me of Mad-Eye Moody and his constant vigilance," replied Luc laughing

"What do you do?" Harry asked curiously, Ravenclaws were famous for their brains after all.

"I research for people," he explained further at the puzzled look on his face, "if someone wants a specific period of history looked up for a very small detail, or isn't quite sure how to tweak a new potion which has side-effects, they send a letter to me through a newspaper, it pays quite well and I can work from home."

"I work with plants, as you might've known," Siri spoke up, "I have a little herb-garden at the back of the house, and I send people cuttings and stuff. I also help out the local Muggle pet-store with their animals. They aren't nearly as scary as the ones Hagrid taught us about, not even the poisonous ones." He said the last part with a rueful laugh, probably remembering how horrible he had always been during Care of Magical Creatures or any class really excepting Herbology.

"Do you do anything?" asked Seth calmly, "Because you'll need to do some sort of…"

"I write and I get paid for it," Harry interrupted defiantly, Seth looked rather affronted at being interrupted, he reminded Harry a lot of Percy Weasley. "Not under your own name I hope," he went on

Harry rolled his eyes, "Of course I didn't," he was starting to boil at being treated like a child again. The others looked interested, "Where do you write? In magazines?" asked Siri

Harry named a few of the local newspapers and weekly magazines where he had also sent stories a few days ago. "They're all Muggle," exclaimed Apollo with disgust

"'pollo, your jeans and t-shirt are from Levi's, also Muggle," said Luc- effectively shutting him up with an even more disgusted look on his face. From the weary looks on everyone's faces, Harry could tell this was an old argument.

"So they sent the money to your house?" Siri asked, looking puzzled, "Your relatives allowed that?" all the boys sharing Harry's dorms knew how horrible his aunt and uncle were to him.

"Maybe they would've, my aunt," he hesitated and a dark look passed over his face, when he remembered how very kindly she had treated him the last summer and why (but that memory would have to wait. Wait until he had found them) she never had before. "But I had a post-box in a Muggle London office that was open all night." None of them seemed very sure of what Harry was saying, "I had a number and anyone writing to that number box could reach me. I went at night and got the checks but I had to cash them in Diagon Alley. I don't have a bank account in Muggle banks."

All of them looked amazed. Luc gave a low whistle, "Have you murdered someone and I haven't heard of it? You're like a man on the run,"

"He is, as of now, a boy on the run," Seth interrupted, "if he decides to stay here, and find his relatives without informing any guardians who might take over now that they might be presumed dead."

"You mean Dumbledore," said Siri tightly

For the first time, Seth looked slightly apologetic, "Yes, I'm afraid; Dumbledore would be the logical person,"

"What are you blathering about Seth?" Apollo drawled, though his nonchalance seemed entirely feigned, "Surely you can't be thinking of handing him over to Dumbledore."

Luc was frowning, "You never called any of us a boy on the run,"

"With any of us four, it was completely unnecessary," Seth replied, and added almost indignantly, "And no, I'm not suggesting handing him over to anyone, I merely wanted everyone to remember quite clearly that we will need more than a few safety precautions if he is to stay here."

"Why was it unnecessary for you?" Harry snapped he wasn't sure why Seth seemed so hostile but he certainly wasn't going to let him walk all over him.

"Because no one cared where we went," he said tightly, "My parents have disowned me, Lucifer's think he's dead, Apollo's are too busy wrestling with their own problems and Osiris'…" here he looked at Siri who was still looking out at the window.

Siri said even more tightly, "It's okay, he knows,"

But your grandmother, Harry wanted to say, but he had seen his grandmother, had seen the tiredness behind her stern and unyielding face. It wasn't hard to guess what had happened, and asking about it would be cruel.

Siri then turned and smiled at him, "I'm sorry we're behaving like this but it still hurts, everything that happened just began a year ago and we're still mourning. Don't mind Seth, you are welcome here, we're your guardians after all."

Harry nodded slowly, and turned to glance at Seth who still looked stony-faced. Slowly, he nodded back, just once.

"So," Apollo interrupted, a bit too brightly to mean anything but mischief, "when are we shopping for his clothes?"

Harry was gratified to see that the three other boys looked just as horrified as he felt.

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Finally this d—ned story is going somewhere! I'm not betaing it or I'm sure I'll just scratch it all out again.


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